Toshiba Satellite U500 Ducati Edition
Superbike performance?
Review When you think of Italian superbike marques, you think of the colour red - a vigorous, powerful, thrusting hue. Yet Toshiba has chosen to deck its Ducati-themed Satellite U500 out in - dare we say it, slightly feminine - white.
Toshiba and Ducati: marque 'book pro?
You can understand why. When Acer ponied up for the Ferrari brand, it grabbed the right to release red laptops. And Asus' Lamborghini licence grants it the exclusive on glossy yellow. Toshiba has been left to come up with an alternative, and it's chosen white, to signify luxury.
The keyboard surround and wrist rest area, and the laptop's lid, have been given an almost leather-like texture to suggest speedboat upholstery. We'll drift away for a moment to contemplate a bikini-clad honey draped decoratively across its bows...
Back to the real world, and what we have here is a rather chunky 13.3in laptop sporting a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo P8700 processor - 3MB of cache, 1066MHz frontside bus - 4GB of 800MHz DDR 2 memory, a 400GB Sata hard drive, multi-format DVD writer, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Nvidia GeForce G210M graphics.
Textured white styling equals 'luxury'
Lesser U500s are also available, minus the Ducati branding and de luxe styling, but both with 2.13GHz Core i3-330M processors and 4GB of 1066MHz DDR 3. Faster memory, yes, but weaker, integrated graphics built into the i3.
COMMENTS
Another useless comparison
Why are reviews these days so completely useless?
The Acer is a 15" screen, the HP is a 15", the L450... that's right a 15" screen. Oh it's OK though because it's balanced out by just as useless data for the t110 and 1810TZ as they're both 11" screens. If I'm in the market to buy a 13" laptop (which I am), I don't need data for anything but a 13" screen!
they got it all wrong
a Duc should be ridiculously overpriced, attract either complete poseurs or insane people with balls of steel, and be ultra high maintenance in both time and treasure-but when you ride it both scare the bejeezus out of you and thrill like nothing else. And it should be both red and loud, just like a vocally appreciative supermodel nymphomaniacal girlfriend.
The only thing in common with a modern Duc here is the logo and the tendency to attract poseurs.
How sad do you have to be ...
... to base your laptop purchasing decision on having a motorcycle branding ?
I suppose somebody might choose a ducati laptop to emphasise they are a free spirit, a renegade, born to be wild etc.
But I'd just assume they were a bit of a cokc not even capable of being a sunday afternoon, fairweather middle aged biker.
Ah, but it's a Ducati.
"...for a machine with a superbike brand, we'd have like to have seen a real speed demon."
Maybe they've just rigged it so all the electronics stop working if the weather's a bit damp? You know, the other thing that Ducati are world-famous for?
what are they doing..
Looks a little dull for having the Ducati brand doesnt it..
Their motorycles are almost timeless.. I love their design
Ex: http://harshad.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/ducati1098.jpg
I dont see how ducati goes along with such a dull design.. a ducati should not look boring.. IMHO.
